Punch (43.1862)

THE CABMAN AND HIS ENEMY.

A CHRISTMAS Meeting of the Cabman’s Club took place last week,

_ when very gratifying statements were made as to the prosperity
of the association, and the noblest sentiments were freely ventilated.
The cabmen declare themselves resolved to stand by their order, and, as
one of them wittily remarked, the public will never be able to get them
off that Stand.

Some painful stories were, however, narrated, which serve to show
the brutality of the cab-hiring public towards the meritorious men who
convey them to their business or their pleasure.

Mr. Jehu Thong, driver, stated that he was hired by a lady and her
sister, the other night, to convey them from the Hanover Square
Rooms to Spring Gardens. There had been a charity concert at the
Rooms, and he humbly thought that the spirit of charity should have
actuated these ladies even beyond the precincts of the rooms. [Hear,
hear.) He had, on arriving at Spring Gardens, demanded half-a-crown,
when the elder lady, in the meanest manner evading a reply until the
door was open, and she and her sister were in the hall, called out her
husband, who was lurking over his newspaper in the parlour, men-
tioned the demand, and said, “ Pay him, dear.” The cowardly trick
was successful, and he, Mr. Thong, was obliged, from terror of the
oppressive law, to say that he had asked eighteen-pence only, which
was but three times his fare, {dries of “Shame”)

Mr. E. Stablish Raw, driver, could relate a worse case. A man,
so elegantly dressed that he supposed he must call him a gentleman,
but a man was a man for a’ that {cheers), hired him at the door of the
Reform Club, and directed him to drive to Berkeley Square. It was
raining hard. On arriving at the house, his fare desired him to ring
the bell. _ He was a cab-driver, not a servant, and he flatly refused to
descend for any such purpose. Why should he let his seat get damp ?
What was the fiendish revenge of his fare ? He got out, rang the bell,
and when the door opened, looked at his watch, and the clock in the
hall. “ Keep that man waiting thirteen minutes,” he said to the
pampered menial, “ and then pay him,” he added, putting a coin into
the latter’s hands, and going up-stairs. He, Raw, waited, and at the
thirteenth minute the savage vassal, with a cruel grin handed liim—
sixpence. {Prolonged sensation, and cries of “ Shame /”)

Mr. Blanker Bitznacker, driver, was hailed by a gentleman at
the door of the Princess’s Theatre, just after Christmas, aud took him
and two ladies up. He was told to go first to Baker Street, and
having set down one of the females, was desired to proceed to the
Regent’s Park. He diove a little way, when, recollecting that the
theatre was nearly over, arid that he should lose other fares, he pulled
up, and represented that the ground was too slippery for his horse.

The gentleman peremptorily ordered him to proceed, asserting that
there was a thaw and the road was all right. But he was proud
to say that he stood by his order, and the gentleman and lady had to
get out {applause) in the cold. [Renewedapplause?) The action, how-
ever, was its own reward, for the gentleman refused to pay him a
farthing {shame), and defied him to summons him {murmurs) which,
for reasons that might occur to them {laughter), he did not do. He
would impress on his friends the necessity of demanding from all
fares an exact statement as to where they wanted to go. {Cheers.)

Mr. Slangsby Knagg, driver, had to take a lady and two children
from a doctor’s house in Cavendish Square to Connaught Terrace,
Edgeware Road. As oue of the children was ill, _ he thought the
woman’s heart would have been softened, but she refused to pay him
three shillings, and sent out her brother, who blowed him up lor half
an hour, and sent him away with a shilling, taking his card, and humili-
ating him in full view of a public-house. {Sensation.) He thought it
ougiit to be law that the person as hired a cab were to pay lor it, and it
should be misdemeanour for anybody else to intertere. {Loud Cheers?)

Other heart-rending cases were narrated, and the indignation ol the
meeting was greatly excited. Strong resolutions were passed.

POETRY BOR A BISHOP.

The Bishop of Salisbury’s opening attack upon the Rev. Row-
land Williams, in respect of the latter’s share in Essays and Revieics,
was rather uncivilly handled by Dr. Deane, and denounced as clumsy.
We suppose the Bishop is aware that there was such a person as
Shakspeare, and if his Lordship had condescended to search King John,
he would have found, ready framed for him by the poet, and actually
put into the mouth of Salisbury, a better description of the objectionable
volume than auy which Dr. Phillimore could frame. Salisbury says,

“ In this, the antique and well noted face
Of plain old form is much disfigured,

And like a shifted wind unto a sail,

It makes the course of thoughts to fetch about.

Startles and frights consideration,

Makes sound opinion sick, and truth suspected
For putting on so new a fashioned robe.”

If the divine Williams, we do not mean the divine, Williams,
whom the Bishop is persecuting, ever hit exactly upon anything, it was
upon the Essays and Reviews when he was penning the above lines.
Bisiiop Punch commends them to his brother Bishop, and with them
the other Salisbury’s resolution to abandon a mistaken course, to
eschew the use of misapplied force, and abide by

“ A happy newness that intends old right."

Von. 42.

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